Jim Harbaugh denies desire to be paid like Super Bowl-winning coach

Posted by Mike Florio on July 28, 2014, 11:14 PM EDT

AP

It’s a given in league circles that 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh has yet to sign a new contract because he wants more money than the 49ers are willing to pay. Per multiple reports (which are accurate), Harbaugh wants to be paid like a Super Bowl-winning coach, and the 49ers aren’t ready to do that until he, you know, wins a Super Bowl.

“For the record, I have never asked to be the highest-paid coach in football,” Harbaugh tells Jason Cole of Bleacher Report. “I have never asked to be paid like a Super Bowl-winning coach. I have never asked for more power. Nor has anybody asked for those things on my behalf, which anybody in this organization can attest to, and all the focus will be on the 2014 season and achieving our goals of the team.”

Harbaugh also denies betting that his value will go up, not down, over time by not doing a new deal with two years left on his current contract.

“I don’t bet,” Harbaugh said. “If I bet on anything, it’s for a chocolate milkshake. That’s the extent of the stakes I bet on.”

Here’s the flaw in Harbaugh’s denials. If he didn’t want to be the highest-paid coach or to be paid like a Super Bowl-winning coach or to bet on himself in the hopes of getting more money later, he’d already have a new contract.

Last year, an effort to extend his contract occurred. And failed. This year, more talks occurred. As of June 5, the 49ers had made Harbaugh an offer. And Harbaugh had not responded.

Downplay it or deny it, there’s an impasse because Harbaugh wants more than the team has offered. If he didn’t, he’d already have financial security beyond 2015.

For even more obtuse remarks from Harbaugh that could trigger a sudden desire to bang your head against the wall, read the whole interview. But put on a helmet first.

If I was SanFran id wait the 2 remaining years, I don’t see him coaching another NFL team so the only competition is college football (Michigan) and I doubt he goes back there unless he is the highest paid college/nfl coach.

Have to say after reading that interview, I have much greater respect for Jim Harbaugh. I think you’re selling him short if you presume it’s all about the money for him. He probably has more than he could spend or his family could spend.

Geez Florio get over it already. As a Niners fan until he’s no longer under contract I could care less I’m over this garbage you guys write. Bringing this back up again, why??? Other teams fans could care less as well they hate us or just don’t care. You have some kind of weird obsession with the Harbaugh and the 49ers it’s starting to get creepy. Is it true yeah some of it but it’s old news. So why is Harbaugh still making you bang your head against a wall? Let me know when he’s been traded or released until then move onto something new guy.

footballfan14 says:Jul 28, 2014 11:32 PM

Cole is with B/R now? I thought he was with Yahoo? The real news here is what did Jason Cole do to lose his job with Yahoo? I never saw or heard anything in the media?

“For even more obtuse remarks from Harbaugh that could trigger a sudden desire to bang your head against the wall, read the whole interview. But put on a helmet first.”

Whats making me have a sudden desire to bang my head against the wall is the ridiculous snarky attitude that is prevalent throughout this article. Basically what you are saying is I should believe what all these various reports from “unnamed sources” say rather than believe the words straight from the guys mouth who is at the center of it all. Right… I think Florio is just mad that Harbaugh is contradicting what he’s previously reported.

Harbaugh is the KING of “obtuse remarks”. He has been since his playing days. He stunk as a QB so he was ignored. Unfortunately, he is successful at his current job, so the media does pay attention to him now.

If he wants to continue to coach the 49 ers and the problem is not his pay or his power then why has ne not signed his new contract? It is a distraction because people will not stop talking about it. Is he trying some sort of psychological ploy on his team? As a Seahawk fan I am glad we got our coached locked up without all the freaking drama.

disp2 says:Jul 29, 2014 1:11 AM

When does it end? Last time to you challenged anyone from the 49ers front office to deny the “Harbaugh was nearly traded to the Browns”. Then Harbaugh, the GM Trent Baalke, and team owner Jed York all went on record saying the report was inaccurate. Give it a rest.

“Downplay it or deny it, there’s an impasse because Harbaugh wants more than the team has offered. ”

you were/are an attorney and this is your deductive reasoning? for real? You don’t think maybe other factors might be in play? Maybe he is eyeing a gig in NY in case Coughlin or Rex leaves…or he will demand and get a massive contract from that moron Ross down in MIA after they go 2-14 this season.

Jim knows that Dolphins owner Stephen Ross is a billionaire, like most NFL owners, and Ross bid for him when he joined the 49ers. Jim also knows that billionaire owners are used to getting whatever they want. Money is no object. By deduction, he would be extremely well paid, if one or more billionaires wanted his services in the future. While he may not have said that he insists on being paid like a Super Bowl winning coach, the effect of having billionaires clammoring for him, means that his rate is going up.

teddybess says:Jul 29, 2014 3:55 AM

He should be paid as a Super Bowl loosing coach. All the members of the organisation can attest to that,

As much as I like this guy, he did come into a very coveted head coaching position when he became 9ers coach. Lots of first round talent from being so bad for so long. I think they missed the boat though cause they’re going to have to start paying the players.

Most, as in the majority, of people don’t get people like Harbaugh because they are lost in the minutia of their own mundane view of life. To understand Harbaugh means being able to recognize a man who views the world through classical-mystical lenses. It’s this precise reason that nearly everyone takes his antics, his vernacular and his conversations as being childish or two-faced. Very few people understand ‘how’ this type of personality works because so few people today can appreciate poetry, glean joy out of the subtleties of a mundane world because they’ve never taught themselves how to see that way.

Seattle fan’s crack me up! They have to run to SF pages and talk about how great they are like a little brother that finally won something hahaha.

weepingjebus says:Jul 29, 2014 10:27 AM

He’s got his eyes on those $22 dockers.

ghost26 says:Jul 29, 2014 10:45 AM

Something more is going on here besides money. It’s ridiculous that the the 49ers even have a preliminary conversation with the Browns about trading him. There’s no way Harbaugh would go there. Ever. He may be crazy but he’s not dumb.

Bear in mind that the Dolphins owner offered Harbaugh more money to come to Miami & he turned that down to go to SF. Are you telling me that Harbaugh REALLY wanted to coach the Browns who are one of the worst teams in football instead of one of the best which the Niners clearly are??? Give me a break…

As a lifelong Dolphin fan–although I wish he was our HC–clearly he made the right decision.

ghost26 says:Jul 29, 2014 10:53 AM

‘For even more obtuse remarks from Harbaugh that could trigger a sudden desire to bang your head against the wall, read the whole interview. But put on a helmet first.’

Mike,

You can rip Harbaugh all you want & I admit that the guy is not all there but make no mistake that Harbaugh is the guy who turned a losing team into one of the best in the NFL. He turned Alex Smith’s career around & also developed Kaepernick who was a project out of college.

How many coaches have been to three consecutive NFC championship games??? So people can laugh at his sound bytes all they want (some of them are pretty nuts) but this guy is not a clown. If the Niners let Harbaugh walk, they will be making a HUGE mistake.